Norwegian Cruise Line Releases 2021 Ship Deployment, Cancels Jamaica Homeport Sailings

(10:05 a.m.) -- Norwegian Cruise Line released a revamped deployment schedule today, as the line continues to plan for its U.S. restart.

The cruise line already announced that Norwegian Bliss would sail from Seattle to Alaska starting August 7, pending approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Citing the need to maximize the short Alaska season, the line said that it was transferring crew there that were previously assigned to Norwegian Joy, canceling the sailings that were to begin from Montego Bay. Those Jamaica homeport sailings, set to begin in August, had been arranged back in April when a U.S. summer restart was looking iffy.

Now the CDC is working closely with the lines, with almost daily announcements and updates, a U.S. restart as soon as July is looking increasingly likely.

The line has also canceled cruises on Pride of America through Oct. 30, 2021; Norwegian Escape through Nov. 2, 2021; Norwegian Jewel through Jan. 9, 2022; Norwegian Pearl through Dec. 7, 2021; Norwegian Spirit through Jan. 28, 2022; Norwegian Sun through Jan. 18, 2022; and the Oct. 24, 2021 itinerary aboard Norwegian Bliss.

Left untouched are the line's other international restarts: Norwegian Jade in Athens, Greece in July; Norwegian Gem in the Dominican Republic in August; and Norwegian Epic in Barcelona and Norwegian Getaway in Rome, respectively, beginning in September.

In its redeployment release, the line did not mention its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for all guests, which currently runs through October 31, 2021. Many of the U.S. restarts are notably after that date has passed, which is also when the CDC's Conditional Sail Order expires.

Here are the following substitutions:

• Norwegian Joy will cruise from Miami beginning Oct. 19, 2021 with five to 11-day Caribbean voyages.

• Norwegian Breakaway will cruise seven-day itineraries to Bermuda from New York beginning Oct. 24, 2021.

• Pride of America will return to its weeklong Hawaii sailings from Honolulu beginning Nov. 6, 2021.

• Norwegian Bliss will move from Seattle and Alaska to cruise from Los Angeles for seven-day Mexican Riviera voyages beginning Nov. 7, 2021.

• Norwegian Encore will offer seven-night itineraries from Miami to the Caribbean beginning Nov. 14, 2021.

• Norwegian Escape will cruise for the first time from Port Canaveral beginning Nov. 20, 2021 offering seven-day itineraries to the Caribbean.

• Norwegian Pearl will sail from Miami offering Panama Canal, Bahamas and Caribbean cruises beginning Dec. 23, 2021.

• Beginning Jan. 20, 2022, Norwegian Jewel will be the first ship in the fleet to offer roundtrip Panama Canal cruises from Panama City (Colón and Fuerte Amador).

• Norwegian Sun will sail for the first time in Asia beginning Jan. 28, 2022, offering a five-day Japan itinerary from Hong Kong, before sailing a variety of 11-day cruises from Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok.

• Norwegian Spirit will cruise 12-day Australia and New Zealand voyages from Sydney, and Auckland, New Zealand beginning Feb. 9, 2022.